Blair Brown

An intelligent, theatrically trained actress, Blair Brown already had an impressive list of credits by the time she achieved fame as the devoted wife of William Hurt in the bizarre "Altered States" (1...
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Michael Sheen: 'Tony Blair shuns films to dodge gossip'

By:
WENN.com
Oct 28, 2013

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair insists he never watches TV and movie portrayals of his career so he can avoid discussing political gossip, according to actor Michael Sheen. The Hollywood star played the former leader onscreen in 2006 movie The Queen and in the 2010 TV drama The Special Relationship, which examines reports Blair struck a deal with his deputy Gordon Brown about the handover of power.
Sheen has met Blair only once, and he is convinced the ex-politician's denial of having watched his work is a convenient way to avoid discussing the storylines.
Sheen tells U.K. talk show Loose Women, "I've met him once... He said he hasn't seen it... Because if he said he's seen it then people will say, 'Well, is it true, is that what happened?' So he says he hasn't seen them."

Famous faces from the world of showbusiness mixed with royalty and politicians from across the world in London on Wednesday morning (17Apr13) at the ceremonial funeral of former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The veteran politician, who passed away on 8 April (13) at the age of 87 after suffering a stroke, was remembered during a high-profile memorial service at St. Paul's Cathedral in the British capital attended by Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as well as Britain's current Prime Minister David Cameron.
Star guests included Dame Shirley Bassey, actress Joan Collins, entertainer Michael Crawford, Welsh opera star Katherine Jenkins and theatre mogul Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. Former U.K. Prime Ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and John Major turned out for the occasion, along with former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.
Before the service at the famed cathedral, Thatcher's coffin passed through the streets of London on a gun carriage with a full military procession.
Thousands of spectators gathered to watch, and more than 4,000 police officers were deployed as part of strict security measures amid the threat of protests over Thatcher's policies, which continue to divide opinion 23 years after she left office.
Demonstrations along the route of the funeral procession remained mostly peaceful, with campaigners booing and turning their backs on the coffin to show their opinion.
Singer Jenkins addressed the threat of protests in a post on her Twitter.com page before she arrived at the funeral, writing, "For me today is personal not political," while musician Billy Bragg urged campaigners to donate to a good cause instead of disrupting the service, adding, "If you wish to express your feelings about the divisive nature of the Thatcher legacy today, do something positive... Donthatedonate.com."

David Mitchell's novel Cloud Atlas consists of six stories set in various periods between 1850 and a time far into Earth's post-apocalyptic future. Each segment lives on its own the previous first person account picked up and read by a character in its successor creating connective tissue between each moment in time. The various stories remain intact for Tom Tykwer's (Run Lola Run) Lana Wachowski's and Andy Wachowski's (The Matrix) film adaptation which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. The massive change comes from the interweaving of the book's parts into one three-hour saga — a move that elevates the material and transforms Cloud Atlas in to a work of epic proportions.
Don't be turned off by the runtime — Cloud Atlas moves at lightning pace as it cuts back and forth between its various threads: an American notary sailing the Pacific; a budding musician tasked with transcribing the hummings of an accomplished 1930's composer; a '70s-era investigatory journalist who uncovers a nefarious plot tied to the local nuclear power plant; a book publisher in 2012 who goes on the run from gangsters only to be incarcerated in a nursing home; Sonmi~451 a clone in Neo Seoul who takes on the oppressive government that enslaves her; and a primitive human from the future who teams with one of the few remaining technologically-advanced Earthlings in order to survive. Dense but so was the unfamiliar world of The Matrix. Cloud Atlas has more moving parts than the Wachowskis' seminal sci-fi flick but with additional ambition to boot. Every second is a sight to behold.
The members of the directing trio are known for their visual prowess but Cloud Atlas is a movie about juxtaposition. The art of editing is normally a seamless one — unless someone is really into the craft the cutting of a film is rarely a post-viewing talking point — but Cloud Atlas turns the editor into one of the cast members an obvious player who ties the film together with brilliant cross-cutting and overlapping dialogue. Timothy Cavendish the elderly publisher could be musing on his need to escape and the film will wander to the events of Sonmi~451 or the tortured music apprentice Robert Frobisher also feeling the impulse to run. The details of each world seep into one another but the real joy comes from watching each carefully selected scene fall into place. You never feel lost in Cloud Atlas even when Tykwer and the Wachowskis have infused three action sequences — a gritty car chase in the '70s a kinetic chase through Neo Seoul and a foot race through the forests of future millennia — into one extended set piece. This is a unified film with distinct parts echoing the themes of human interconnectivity.
The biggest treat is watching Cloud Atlas' ensemble tackle the diverse array of characters sprinkled into the stories. No film in recent memory has afforded a cast this type of opportunity yet another form of juxtaposition that wows. Within a few seconds Tom Hanks will go from near-neanderthal to British gangster to wily 19th century doctor. Halle Berry Hugh Grant Jim Sturgess Jim Broadbent Ben Whishaw Hugo Weaving and Susan Sarandon play the same game taking on roles of different sexes races and the like. (Weaving as an evil nurse returning to his Priscilla Queen of the Desert cross-dressing roots is mind-blowing.) The cast's dedication to inhabiting their roles on every level helps us quickly understand the worlds. We know it's Halle Berry behind the fair skinned wife of the lunatic composer but she's never playing Halle Berry. Even when the actors are playing variations on themselves they're glowing with the film's overall epic feel. Jim Broadbent's wickedly funny modern segment a Tykwer creation that packs a particularly German sense of humor is on a smaller scale than the rest of the film but the actor never dials it down. Every story character and scene in Cloud Atlas commits to a style. That diversity keeps the swirling maelstrom of a movie in check.
Cloud Atlas poses big questions without losing track of its human element the characters at the heart of each story. A slower moment or two may have helped the Wachowskis' and Tykwer's film to hit a powerful emotional chord but the finished product still proves mainstream movies can ask questions while laying over explosive action scenes. This year there won't be a bigger movie in terms of scope in terms of ideas and in terms of heart than Cloud Atlas.
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It was the trickle of pee heard around the world. Cannes attendees were aghast and/or amused an infamous scene from The Paperboy that shows Nicole Kidman urinating on Zac Efron; this is apparently a great salve for jellyfish burns which were covering our Ken Doll-like protagonist. (In fact the term protagonist should be used very loosely for Efron's character Jack who is mostly acted upon than active throughout.)
Lurid! Sexy! Perverse! Trashy! Whether or not it's actually effective is overshadowed by all the hubbub that's attached itself to the movie for better or worse. In fact the movie is all of these things — but that's actually not a compliment. What could have become somethingmemorable is jaw-droppingly bad (when it's not hilarious). Director Lee Daniels uses a few different visual styles throughout from a stark black and white palette for a crime scene recreation at the beginning to a '70s porno aesthetic that oscillates between psychedelic and straight-up sweaty with an emphasis on Efron's tighty-whiteys. This only enhances the sloppiness of the script which uses lines like narrator/housekeeper/nanny Anita's (Macy Gray) "You ain't tired enough to be retired " to conjure up the down-home wisdom of the South. Despite Gray's musical talents she is not a good choice for a narrator or an actor for that matter. In a way — insofar as they're perhaps the only female characters given a chunk of screen time — her foil is Charlotte Bless Nicole Kidman's character. Anita is the mother figure who wears as we see in an early scene control-top pantyhose whereas Charlotte is all clam diggers and Barbie doll make-up. Or as Anita puts it "an oversexed Barbie doll."
The slapdash plot is that Jack's older brother Ward (Matthew McConaughey) comes back to town with his colleague Yardley (David Oyelowo) to investigate the case of a death row criminal named Hillary Van Wetter. Yardley is black and British which seems to confuse many of the people he meets in this backwoods town. Hillary (John Cusack) hidden under a mop of greasy black hair) is a slack-jawed yokel who could care less if he's going to be killed for a crime he might or might not have committed. He is way more interested in his bride-to-be Charlotte who has fallen in love with him through letters — this is her thing apparently writing letters and falling in love with inmates — and has rushed to help Ward and Yardley free her man. In the meantime we're subjected to at least one simulated sex scene that will haunt your dreams forever. Besides Hillary's shortcomings as a character that could rustle up any sort of empathy the case itself is so boring it begs the question why a respected journalist would be interested enough to pursue it.
The rest of the movie is filled with longing an attempt to place any the story in some sort of social context via class and race even more Zac Efron's underwear sexual violence alligator innards swamp people in comically ramshackle homes and a glimpse of one glistening McConaughey 'tock. Harmony Korine called and he wants his Gummo back.
It's probably tantalizing for this cast to take on "serious" "edgy" work by an Oscar-nominated director. Cusack ditched his boombox blasting "In Your Eyes" long ago and Efron's been trying to shed his squeaky clean image for so long that he finally dropped a condom on the red carpet for The Lorax so we'd know he's not smooth like a Ken doll despite how he was filmed by Daniels. On the other hand Nicole Kidman has been making interesting and varied career choices for years so it's confounding why she'd be interested in a one-dimensional character like Charlotte. McConaughey's on a roll and like the rest of the cast he's got plenty of interesting projects worth watching so this probably won't slow him down. Even Daniels is already shooting a new film The Butler as we can see from Oprah's dazzling Instagram feed. It's as if they all want to put The Paperboy behind them as soon as possible. It's hard to blame them.

Over the next few months, we’ll see new series soar, old series sour, and so much Jersey Shore madness, we’ll want to shower. Let’s face it: The Fall TV season is intimidating. With dozens of new and returning shows hitting our small screens, we know we have some big choices to make. So, to help you determine what to watch, we’re digging deep into the most notable series premiering this season. Where did each show leave off? Where is it headed? And who should you watch it with? Today, we’ll look at the cult favorite Fringe, which, in its final season, will send our beloved heroes to a dystopian future run by mysterious bald guys known as Observers.
Returning Series: Fringe
Premiere Date: Friday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. on Fox
Number of Seasons On the Air: This will be Fringe's fifth and (sniff) final season
Cast: The Emmy-deserving John Noble, the fantastic, undeniably versatile Anna Torv (I mean, who can play two unbelievably nuanced versions of the same character, AND Leonard Nimoy?), the show's heart, Joshua Jackson, its unsung hero Jasika Nicole, the underrated bossman Lance Reddick, the mysterious Blair Brown, and newcomer Georgina Haig.
You’d Like It If…: You dig complex sci-fi thrillers with brilliant writing, a superb cast, and one of the most fun fan-bases around. Yeah, we're biased towards this one.
You’d Hate It If…: You left your imagination behind in grade school.
Ratings: Err, not great. By the end of November 2011, Fringe was the Fox's lowest rated program, and its finale only brought in 3.11 million viewers. Having a Friday time-slot is never fun, but Fringe's diehard fans have kept this one going. And Fox and Warner Bros. — thanks, Fox and Warner Bros!
Accolades: They've been nominated for a couple of Creative Emmys, but the show (and the sinfully talented John Noble) has never received too much love from the Academy. But Jon Cryer won for Two and a Half Men last night, so we don't really care what they think. However, Fringe has cleaned up at the Saturn Awards — it won Best Network Television Series in 2012, and Torv, Nimoy, and Noble have all taken home acting statues.
Where Fringe Left Off: Got a sec? Good, because last year's finale was a doozy. After three seasons with an alternative universe arc, our Fringe team was forced to close the gap to said alternate universe to save both worlds from collapsing. William Bell (Nimoy) planned to destroy them anyway, creating a new universe populated only by the creatures he had gathered in his Noah's Ark-esque boat. Olivia's Cortexiphan-enhanced powers saved the day, and Bell just sort of... disappeared. Then, Peter and Olivia learned that they were pregnant. Yay!
Only not really, because a few episodes before we flashed forward to a dystopian 2036, where Peter and Olivia's daughter, Etta (Haig), was fighting off the totalitarian Observers. She recovered Peter, Astrid, and Walter's bodies after they'd been encased in amber for decades, but Olivia was nowhere to be found. Back in modern times, we ended the season with September — our main Observer — telling Walter, "We have to warn the others. They are coming."
Cast In Question: Sorry, fans of Lincoln Lee: Seth Gabel's beloved character decided to cross over to the alternate universe, so we doubt we'll be seeing much of him. We're also not so sure about Nimoy's Bell, though given the fact that he left retirement to return to the show last year (and, that he supposedly did something horrible to Olivia in the time between last spring's finale and this year's 2036 setting), we're going to remain hopeful.
Advice the Show Has Taught Us: Hey, are you thinking of making a portal to another universe to steal a deceased loved one? Well, don't. Just don't. Yes, you'll get them back, but the fallout is just not worth it.
High Point: There have been so many, but season three's magnificent episode "Entrada" — the first episode to take place equally in both universes — is a must-watch for any Fringe newbie. Olivia's return to the prime universe after a gut-wrenching captivity was thrilling, and her Fauxlivia counterpart is delightfully wicked
Low Point: Erasing Peter Bishop from everyone's memory at the end of season three. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but the relationships between Peter, Olivia, and Walter are the show's big, beating heart, so making him a stranger so far into the show's run by erasing three years of memories was a huge no-no. It took the entirety of season four to make up for it, and they get points for having Olivia (eventually) remember, but it still smarts that all of those great Peter-Walter bonding moments from seasons one through three no longer exist.
Who To Watch It With: Your fellow nerds, duh!
Who Not to Watch It With: Newbs, because who wants to be bombarded with eight zillion questions about the show's admittedly complex mythology during the final season premiere?
Cast Member to Root For: The entire Fringe team, of course! But we're especially partial to the zany, lovable, somewhat tragic Walter, who is currently one of the most unique characters on television, and — dare we say it — arguably the best television scientist of all time.
Cast Member to Root Against: Any Observer. Screw those guys.
What to Eat While Watching: Any number of Walter's favorite foods: Root beer, blue cotton candy, double-dipped beer-battered onion rings, Red Vines, Devil Dogs, Blueberry pancakes... the list goes on and on. Just be sure to book appointments with your dentist and cardiologist before you watch.
Binge Watching Potential: Start, and you won't stop — one Hollywood.com staffer (cough cough, me) reportedly went through two seasons in a week.
Ways to "Fit In" to the Fringe culture: Start obsessing over Peter Bishop's pea coats. Attend a geeky fan convention. Snag one of those cool Observer hats they gave out during last July's Comic Con.
What You’re Most Likely to Yell at the Screen: "Leave Walter alone!" (See below)
So, Will You Watch It?: The majority of you probably won't, if you're not already a fan. But one day you'll finally listen to that one friend of yours who'd recommended it for years and rent the DVDs, and you'll regret not joining in on the fun during its run. Rent it now! NOW!
Follow Shaunna on Twitter @HWShaunna
[PHOTO CREDIT: Fox]
MORE:
New 'Fringe' Promo: The Observers Torture Walter — VIDEO
'Fringe' Season 5 Promo: They're Coming (For Peter and Olivia)
'Fringe' Gets Fond Farewell at Comic-Con

Ridiculousness: MTV has renewed Rob Dyrdek's Ridiculousness for a third season! That's right, more amateur viral videos for all. [Deadline]
Gossip Girl: Gossip Girl's final season is now one month away, and we knew they'd go out with a scandalous "bang!" The CW's latest trailer shows Chuck and Blair getting it on, Serena hiding under a fake identity, and — of course — plenty of threats from Georgina. Who is on a "full-on slut spiral?" Inquiring minds need to know. Dorota, fetch us October, now. [TVLine]
Arrested Development: We couldn't really read this particular tidbit — it's basically a brown spot, with points. But from what we can see, it looks like there will be two loose seals in Netflix's limited revival of Arrested Development. Sorry Jessica Walter — Lucille Two (Liza Minnelli) is back, and Buster is sure to take notice. [TV Guide]
Shonda Rhimes: Grey's Anatomy producer Shonda Rhimes is about to make a giant leap — from ABC to NBC. Rhimes, her production company, and the Peacock have joined heads for an upcoming FBI drama called Under the Gun. NBC has already made a script commitment for the series, which will focus on a young female agent with a dark past. [Hollywood Reporter]
X Factor: Simon Cowell has already told us that newcomers Britney Spears and Demi Lovato have some teeth, but now we know that the contestants do, too. In Fox's latest promo, one guy goes a bit too far with Lovato, causing Spears to lash out. [EW]
Follow Shaunna on Twitter @HWShaunna
[PHOTO CREDIT: DailyCeleb.com]
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Sunday morning at SDCC, fans packed into the normally movie-centric Hall H to say goodbye to their beloved cult hit Fringe. Waiting to see executive producer J. H. Wyman, along with stars Josh Jackson, Anna Torv, John Noble, Lance Reddick, and Jasika Nicole (poor Blair Brown couldn't make it due to a cold) were thousands of fans (many of whom camped over night) wearing Fringe-style fedoras, making the crowd look like something out of the show's dystopian Observageddon.
But the panel — which kicked things off with a downright jaw-dropping trailer (is that the return of Lost's Henry Ian Cusick we see back in the futuristic Observageddon, brotha?) — wasn't just an emotional rollercoaster for fans bidding the series adieu, but the stars as well. Torv, Nicole, and even Reddick broke down in tears during the panel when discussing their favorite moments from other characters on the show.
For the record, Fringe fans, Nicole's favorite scene is when Walter is at the phone booth, and he panics when he can't remember the number to get in touch with Peter. (Sniff sniff) Another popular favorite was the Torv-tastic scene where Olivia goes into her house and realizes that Faux-livia had taken over her life. (Sniff sniff sniff) But the tears really started to flow when Reddick had a hard time describing my own personal favorite Fringe moment — when Nicole's alterna-Astrid (who has Asperger's Syndrome) visited our own universe to see if its Astrid was also disowned by her father. In this scene, Astrid tells alterna-Astrid that yes, her father was also distant, but only because he didn't know how to be there for her. Alterna-Astrid seems to be at peace with this answer, knowing that her father's failures were not solely due to his disappointment in having a daughter with Asperger's. At the end of the episode, we learn that our Astrid had lied — she comes home after a long day to see her loving father waiting with a home-cooked meal. After this tearful moment, Noble joked that his favorite scene was when Peter chopped a guy's fingers off, because "I'm not going to cry."
As for that trailer, we learned that the original Fringe team will indeed be back: Removed by Peter and Olivia's daughter after spending 20 years frozen in amber. In 2609 AD, the Observers destroyed the planet — and as we saw last year, they traveled back in time to establish some horrific dystopian society. In the trailer, we see mention that William Bell's (Leonard Nimoy) services might be needed to help the insurgent Fringe team save the world. The premiere, which will air on September 28, will pick up the day after we left Peter, Etta and co. in the Observageddon future, in the year 2036. (But the real question is — can they somehow sneak in Lincoln Lee?) Later in the panel, three ladies dressed as Observers asked Wyman why we haven't seen any female Observers yet. Wyman said that there is a reason for this, and we will find out soon.
The rest of the panel was a giant love-fest, with each actor waxing poetic about the others. But Nicole did find time to poke fun at Reddick's Comic-Con "disguise": "When we got here, I thought I was going to do my hair different as a disguise for Comic-Con. Lance was wearing a Breaking Bad hat. He thought that was going to be his disguise. He's like, 'They're going to think I'm a fan!' Then fans swarmed him. He's the tallest, darkest, handsomest man at Comic-Con.! Of course, things eventually turned to sex. After Torv unfortunately began a sentence with "I've learned to come..." and then paused, the rest of the cast (and the crowd) exploded with laughter. But Torv was a good sport. "I'll tell you what, that's what we need to get Olivia to do!" (Meaning orgasm on screen, of course.) But that wasn't the last orgasm joke we'd hear this panel. Nobel began reminiscing on his first scene, where he put on a big beard in the asylum, then turned to the camera and said, "I knew you'd come." The actor then turned to Torv and said, "Speaking of!" All of this sex talk reminded Nicole of the racy fan fiction that exists on the internet. "By the way, Anna and I have read some of that fan-fic out there," she said. "You guys are scandalous!" Torv joked that they just haven't found the time to shoot it yet. Of course, Noble noted that it's not sex or sci-fi that keeps Fringe fans hooked — it's love. "What we've learned is about the power of love in this story. What holds things together is the power of love. Between all the characters there has developed genuine love. The love between father and son, the love between Peter and Olivia." Noble then added that he thinks a future Fringe film is very possible.
When all was said and done, the audience in Hall H gave them all a deserving standing ovation.
Follow Shaunna on Twitter @HWShaunna
[Photo credit: Fox]
More:
Fringe: Building a Better Season 5
Fringe Renewed for Fifth and Final Season
Fringe Co-Showrunner Jeff Pinkner Out for Final Season

With the official announcement of Sunday's activities, San Diego Comic-Con finally has its full line-up. And boy oh boy is it ever chock-a-block with things to do. For those not easily overwhelmed, we've broken down the highlights that will no doubt bring in tons of spoilers, revelations, exclusives, and news about our favorite television shows and movies. The comic convention has quickly turned into THE place to reveal information to a highly-rapturous nerd-and-geek-a-palooza in addition to the discussion of the comic book and fandom worlds.
So take a look at the highlights below and get your schedules ready--it's definitely going to be tight to manage seeing everything worth attending. Does anyone have an extra time-turner handy?
Wednesday
For those lucky enough to get into the preview night, there is a nearly 4 hour block of pilot screenings that include ABC's 666 Park Avenue, CW's Arrow, FOX's The Following, NBC's Revolution, and CW's Cult.
Thursday
Thursday morning starts off with several panels, including an hour of movie trailer screenings. The cast and crew from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 will be on-hand to present a sneak peek at the film followed by a Q&amp;A. Disney hosts a panel featuring Tim Burton and his Frankenweenie, Sam Raimi and Oz The Great and Powerful, and Wreck-it Ralph. John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman will also be there. To round out the afternoon, Teen Wolf of the MTV variety and USA's Psych will also have panels going. The CW's Beauty and the Beast has a panel during the evening, and the zombies will be out for The Walking Dead's early evening discussion. Wilfred's team will have an hour to chat about the FX-by-way-of-Australian television show, and CBS' Elementary will serve you some behind-the-scenes clues into the show for Sherlock and Watsons everywhere. On the movie front, The Expendables 2 will talk about the action and and explosions experienced by on-hand stars Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and more. Jon Benjamin has his first panel of the weekend to discuss Archer before the folks from Dexter chat about the world's most lovable serial killer, in what promises to be filled with tons of details about the upcoming season. Comedy Central gets in on the fun with a discussion with the boys from Workaholics before everything ends with a lively sing-along featuring Neil Patrick Harris' internet sensation, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.
Friday
Community brings the cult-favorite's cast to San Diego for what will be an undoubtedly kooky and obscure pop culture reference-laden event, while the bronies will be found at a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (I know!) panel. Nickelodeon's buzzified new show Legend of Korra takes a stab at the comic-con circuit, as well as CW's midseasoner Cult. Fans of Adult Swin have several panels running on Friday, and Big Bang Theory gets an upgrade to the prestigious Hall H for its cast chat. Things are a little bit creepy in honor of the superstitious Friday the 13th, with a panel for ABC's 666 Park Avenue, as well as several other horrific sessions. In curious music-related news, Chris Martin and the Coldplay crew will be on hand to chat about the alleged secret narrative behind their album Mylo Xyloto that has turned into a comic miniseries. Interesting! At lunchtime, The Walking Dead will raise you from the undead before David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel talk the Bones season seven shocker. Elijah Wood will be there to discuss his voice work on Disney's Tron: Legacy series before afternoon highlight and sure-to-be-packed-to-the-gills Game of Thrones panel moderated by series-and-novel creator George R.R. Martin. A portion of the cast: including Jon Snow, Theon Greyjoy, Cersei Lannister, Robb and Catelyn Stark, and Daenerys Targaryen will be on hand to dish on winter's impending arrival. White walkers!
Think you're done yet? Oh no, my friends, there's much more--including Bob's Burgers, a preview of Resident Evil: Retribution, and a panel discussing kick-ass ladies featuring Kristin Bauer van Straten, Sarah Wayne Callies, Kristin Kreuk, Nikki Reed and Anna Torv. Wil Wheaton will serve up a Q&amp;A for Falling Skies.
Sony heads up a huge two-hour panel featuring their upcoming films, including the reboot of Total Recall with Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel and Bryan Cranston on stage, as well as Joseph Gordon-Levitt's futuristic Looper, and Neill Blonkamp's Elysium featuring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster.
Phew! But we're not done yet, America. Oh no. Joss Whedon and Anthony Bourdain both have panels during the evening portion, before Bryan Cranston has another panel with his hit show Breaking Bad. Cult-favorites that ended-too-soon for some fans (Dollhouse, FlashForward, Firefly, and The Middleman) have their own panel — with Firefly's hosted by the Science Channel — about what the writers wish they could've shown before Resident Evil: Damnation has a 7-minute sneak preview event with a subsequent Q&amp;A.
Saturday
Saturday starts out strong with a panel for next year's Will and Jaden Smith film/comic book, After Earth. G4's Attack of the Show comes up next with a behind-the-scenes look at the nerd-favorite. Then it's a trip to Storybrooke, where the cast of Once Upon A Time will chat about the magical show. Keep an eye out, as Ginnifer Goodwin, Lana Parrilla, and Emilie de Ravin will all be on hand. Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton are hosting a Geek &amp; Sundry panel that promises big-time announcements that Wheaton fans will sure to delight over for days after. Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr, and Geoffrey Arend will all be on-hand to discuss their new film Save the Date, which tells a contemporary story of modern love using the style and tropes of comic book storytelling to make the movie. A highlight of Saturday morning is definitely the sneak-peek of Django Unchained, featuring a Q&amp;A with Quentin Tarantino and the cast. Futurama also has a panel on the day, as well as Chris Hardwick's ever-popular Nerdist empire. But Saturday's shenanigans don't stop here--we're barely even through lunchtime, you guys--other panel highlights include The Simpsons, Jake Gyllenhaal will discuss his new film End of Watch, and the crew from Family Guy will also chat up the convention. There's a panel each for the folks from Grimm, Being Human, and Vampire Diaries, to discuss the supernatural dramas second, third, and fourth respective seasons. The Shameless cast talks drunken shenanigans and family calamities before the evening takes off with the big guns. On the TV front, True Blood, Glee, MythBusters, and Cinemax's Femme Fatales all get their own Q&amp;A time. Movie highlights in the evening include Iron Man 3 and Person of Interest. Nerd hero Kevin Smith also has his own panel.
Sunday
The day starts off strong with a Fringe panel featuring stars Anna Torv, Josh Jackson, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole, and John Noble. After that, things get Supernatural with Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, but continue with an alleged "earth-shattering announcements that will change the life of Peter Parker [aka Spiderman] for another 50 years" in a panel featuring the Marvel crew. Intrigue! By then it's lunchtime and the cult-favorite Doctor Who will premiere some exclusive content in preparation for the upcoming season of the BBC hit. Seth MacFarlane will be on hand to premiere the first episode from season four of The Cleveland Show. In an attempt to make us all feel 100 years old, there will be a 20th anniversary celebration/panel for Buffy the Vampire Slayer which will feature surprise guests and the original movie Buffy, Kristy Swanson, as well as stars Nicholas Brendon and Clare Kramer. There will also be a separate screening of the musical episode later on in the afternoon. FX favorite Sons of Anarchy will also take an hour on the stage, as well as a panel on the Harry Potter fandom.
Phew! Information overload much? For those of you that are going, which of these panels are you most excited about? For those not attending but keeping score, which panels do you think will be the true highlights? Let us know in the comments!
Follow Alicia on Twitter @alicialutes
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Hollywood.com at Comic-Con 2011
SDCC

The actress naturally fed little Arthur after his birth last July (11) but was keen to gradually introduce powdered fluid into his diet as he grew.
However, she's been put off after reading a study which suggested that organic brown-rice syrup - a sweetener used in some baby milk - may be a hidden source of arsenic.
She tells TV Week, "I was trying to supplement with formula, and that's the one they found arsenic in. It's very daunting, wanting to do the best for your child."
Blair also admits she dreads filming Charlie Sheen's upcoming sitcom Anger Management because of the effect it may have on Arthur's feeding routine.
She adds, "It's a real challenge. I have to figure out how to juggle it."

Starred as the mother of a murder victim in the based-on-fact Lifetime movie "Convictions"

Summary

An intelligent, theatrically trained actress, Blair Brown already had an impressive list of credits by the time she achieved fame as the devoted wife of William Hurt in the bizarre "Altered States" (1980). She earned a Golden Globe nomination opposite John Belushi in "Continental Divide" (1981) and a Golden Globe nomination as well as a BAFTA nomination for playing the iconic Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in the miniseries "Kennedy" (NBC, 1983). At the peak of her powers, she earned five Emmy nominations as the titular star of "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" (NBC, 1987-88; Lifetime, 1989-1991), a groundbreaking dramedy about an independent-minded divorceé. She won a 2000 Tony for her role in the physics-themed Broadway drama "Copenhagen" and essayed memorable supporting roles in the Johnny Depp thriller "The Astronaut's Wife" (1999), the Clint Eastwood action adventure "Space Cowboys" (2000) and Lars von Trier's "Dogville" (2003). She earned excellent reviews for her return to series television as Nina Sharp, the mysterious executive director of Massive Dynamic on the parallel universe series "Fringe" (FOX, 2008- ). An immensely respected veteran of stage, television and film, Blair Brown embodied intelligent, quirky women and proved a fascinating addition to any genre or medium.

Education

"I had a hard time being the ingenue. I had the looks, but I was uncomfortable being so pleasant and pleasing." - Brown quoted in The New York Times, April 27, 1995

"Blair has that leader quality. She can walk on a set - do nothing - and take control." - "Feds" co-excutive producer Arthur Forney to Entertainment Weekly, Feb. 21-28, 1997

"I think that whatever aspect of my career hasn't happened has to do with the fact that when I was younger, I didn't think it was that important to play the game. I thought you didn't actually have to. I see now that's not the case. Still, I couldn't have done it differently. I couldn't actually deal, and I still can't, with that nonsense in California. I don't have the gift." - Brown quoted in The New York Times, April 27, 1995